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Semenya lawyers claim she should be allowed to compete again

Ray Mali, the interim President of Athletics South Africa, told The Associated Press that he held a conference call with 19-year-old Semenya and her lawyers earlier today, and they wanted her to be allowed to compete in an event tomorrow.

"As I speak now there is no clarity," Mali said in a telephone interview with the Associated Press. "I am engaging the IAAF who are handling this. Her lawyers are saying she must run."

Mali said he was waiting for a response from the IAAF over whether it would clear Semenya to run in Stellenbosch, near Cape Town, in the Yellow Pages Series V meet.

"If the IAAF say no and Caster goes on to run it could have far-reaching implications for athletics," Mali said. "I am trying to bring the IAAF on board."

Semenya's father, Jacob, told The Johannesburg Times tonight that the family was impatient with "those people who don't want her to compete".

IAAF spokesman Nick Davies said he had "no information" of any developments.

Semenya has not competed since she won the gold medal at the World Championships in Berlin last August, sparking a major row about her gender.

The IAAF claim they are still investigating the results and has refused to confirm or deny reports that the tests indicate Semenya has both male and female sex organs.